Cross-bearer construction for railway cars



Sept. 15, 1953 s. SIMONSON CROSS-BEARER CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 11, 1950 //v VEN TO? '9' d Simonson A TTOPNE Y5 Sept. 15, 1953 s. SIMONSON 2,652,005

CROSS-BEARER CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed July 11, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 VEN T012 Stgp'z ard Swanson Wm WM, wflzm/ A TTOPNEYS Sept. 15, 1953 s. SIMONSON CROSS-BEARER CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed July 11, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VE N TOE SLcgr ard 851720723022 5 Y A TTORNEXS' Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES 2,5,oot

PTENT OFFICE CROSS-BEARER CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS Application July 11 1950-, Serial N0. 173,072

3 Claims. (Cl. 105-419) This invention relates to railway car construction and more particularly to an improved construction and arrangement of the cross bearers of av freight car.

Freight car bodies are usually mounted on underframes comprising a relatively strong center sill extending longitudinally in the center line of the car, and. transverse members including bolsters which support the body on the car trucks near the ends of the car and additional transverse supports or cross bearers intermediate the bolsters. In conventional freight cars, the center sill is connected rigidly to the transverse bolsters and cross bearers, but in underframes of the Duryea type, the center sill is movable longitudinally relative to the bolsters and cross bearers.

As long as the weight of the car lading is distributed over the floor of the car, the conventional underframe as described above is adequate to support the weight of the car body and its lading without difficulty. However, cases arise in practice in which heavy loads are concentrated in small areas or even at points near the central portion of the car between the bolsters. For example, in transporting long heavy steel beams it is sometimes necessary to resort to twin loading in which the ends of the beam are supported in adjacent oars. Thus each car carries half the weight of the beam concentrated substantially at a single point near the center of the car. Car loading rules limit such concentrated loads in the central portion of the car to a maximum of 75% of the rated capacity of the car, but nevertheless car failures often occur under such conditions, resulting in serious damage to the car structure such as sagging of the underframe and caving in of the car sides.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide improved cross bearer construction which meets the requirements of such heavy concentrated loads and prevents car failures. Other objects are to provide such a cross bearer construction which can replace conventional cross bearers without requiring other modification of the underfraine, and which includes vertical structure of substantial depth extending transversely underneath the center sill and supporting it against sagging when subjected to heavy concentrated loads. Further objects will appear in the following description.

Cross bearers embodyin the invention comprise a vertical web structure built up of interconnected vertical web plates and extending from side to side of the underframe, the structure being arranged so that the vertical Webs extend inwardly to. the sides of the center sill and downwardly to a depth substantially greater than that of the center sill, and also transversely underneath the sill so as to provide a vertical sillsupporting, web of substantial depth. In general configuration, therefore, the web structure constitutes in sheet a vertical plate having a sillreceiving notch or recess in its upper edge midway between the car sides. Preferably the web structure comprises three principal parts in-- cluding two side plate which extend outwardly from the sides. of the sill to the sides of the underf'rame, and a third plate. extending under the sill, the edges of said plates being flanged where they engage one another and'the meeting flanges being rigidly connected together in any desired way as by meansof rivets, The side plates may extend below the sill. with thethird plate located between and connected to their inner edges, or the side plates may be of. substantially the same depth as; the sill with the third plate extending beyond thev sides of the sill underneath the lower edges of the side: plates. As a rule it is not necessary to replace all of the conventional cross bearers with. improved cross bearer construction of" the above type, since the problem discussed above arises chiefly in the central portion of the car between the bolsters. Even in this portion, only part: of the cross bearers need be of the improvedtype embodying the present invention,

Several embodiments. of the invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be. expressly understood that said drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be taken as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for this purpose.

Inthe drawings,

Fig. 1. is aside view, partly in section, illustrating one. half of a gondolacar embodying the invention;

Fig; 2 shows one form. of cross bearer construction embodyingithe invention;

Figs; 3 and. 4.- are sections taken. respectively on the lines 3-3 and 4.-4lof Pig. 2

Fig; 5 shows another cross bearer construction embodying the invention;

Fig. 6 isa section on the line 6-t of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a partial side view of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 shows still another cross bearer construction embodying the invention;

Fig. 9 is a section onthe line 9-43 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 19 is a partial side view of Fig, 8.

The invention can be applied either to conventional cars having a center sill fixedly secured to the underframe, or to Duryea-type cars in which the center sill is movable longitudinally relative to the underframe as disclosed broadly in Duryea U. S. Patent No. 1,693,194. By way of example, Fig. 1 illustrates a typical gondola car equipped with a Duryea-type underframe. As shown, the car body comprises side walls I, the upper edges of which are formed by channels 2 in the usual manner. The side walls may be strengthened at suitable points by side plates 3 secured to the outside of the walls by rivets 4, and the plates 3 may be stiffened by corrugations 5. A suitable corrugated end wall is shown at 6.

The center sill is preferably of known type comprising two Z-shaped sections with their upper flanges turned inwardly toward one another and welded together. In Duryea-type cars, this center sill is movable longitudinally relative to the underframe and draft and buffing forces are absorbed in part at least by resilient cushioning means interposed between the center sill and the body bolsters at both ends of the car. The body bolsters may be of any suitable type, one of them bein shown in part at the left-hand end of Fig. 1 and including a center brace casting 8 and a cover plate 9 forming a bolster of the type shown in Simonson U. S. Patent No. 2,271,608. The longitudinal movement of the center sill 1 relative to the bolster 8, 9 is cushioned by any suitable cushion gear. Fig. 1 shows a cushion gear of the type shown in Simonson U. S. Patent No. 2,349,565 comprising a spring I supported in a housing [I that is fixed within the center sill, said spring being interposed between an outer follower plate l2 engaged by the butt of a coupler I3 and an inner follower plate l4 engaging a part of the center brace casting 8. The outer end of the spring In is also retained by the head of a link l5 which passes slidably through the center brace casting and carries a key [6 on its inner end.

Bufiing forces are transmitted through the coupler l3 and follower plate |2 to the housing I and the center sill, moving the latter through the bolster and compressing the spring. Draft forces are also transmitted to the center sill through the coupler and a coupler key 11, moving the sill outwardly and compressing the spring against the head of the link I5. Movement of the sill in both directions is limited by stop plates l8 and I9 adapted to engage respectively the inner and outer edges of the casting 8. The operation of such cushion gears is well known in the art and need not be described in detail as it is not part of the present invention.

Intermediate the car bolsters, the floor structure of the car is supported by a suitable number of transverse cross bearers, the cross bearers nearest the bolsters being of any conventional type. As shown by way of example, such cross bearers comprise vertical plates or diaphragms extending outwardly from the sides of the center sill to the sides of the underframe and connected together above the sill by means of a cover plate 2| and beneath the sill by mean of a suitable tie member such as a 2 bar 22. However, in the central portion of the car where heavy concentrated loads are apt to result in failure as mentioned above, at least some of the cross bearers are of the improved type described in detail hereinafter. For example, one of such improved cross bearers may be located at the center of the car as indicated generally at 23, and

another may be located between the cross bearer 23 and the bolsters as indicate at 24, a conventional structure 20, 2|, 22 being interposed between the two improved cross bearers. This arrangement is adequate for most purposes, but it will be understood that the number and location of the improved cross bearers can be varied as may be desired.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the details of construction of one form of the improved cross bearer in association with a movable center sill 1 shown in broken lines. The sides I of the car, as usual, extend downwardly to a point somewhat below the center sill where they are connected to a relatively strong longitudinal member or side sill here shown as comprising an angle iron 25. At about the height of the top of the sill the side wall is further stiffened by a longitudinal angle iron 26.

The vertical web structure of the cross bearer includes similar side plates 21 having their outer ends flanged at 28 for attachment to the side walls by suitable means such as rivets 29. The Webs of the plates 2'! on their sides opposite the flanges 28 may also be connected to the side walls by suitable means such as angles 30 shown in dotted lines and rivets 3|. Where convenient, the rivets 29 and 3| may be combined with the rivets 4. The upper edges of the sides plates are flanged at 32 and these flanges are connected by a top cover plate 33 which extends over the top of the sill l and is riveted at 34 to the flanges 32 and at 35 to the angle iron 25.

The side plates 2? terminate at the sides of the center sill and their inner ends or edges have flanges 36 which form a generally rectangular notch or recess 3'! in the upper edge of the vertical web structure to receive the center sill I. Said flanges 35 extend downwardly below the outer edges of the flanges 38 of the center sill, and the third plate 39 of the web structure is interposed between the side plates beneath the sill, said third plate having side flanges 40 which engage and are riveted to the flanges 36 as indicated at 4|. The upper edge of the plate 39 is flanged at 42 to support the lower faces of the flanges 38 of the center sill.

Preferably additional strengthening of the support for the center sill is provided by a fourth plate 43 similar to the plate 39 and arranged backto-back therewith, the side edges of said plate 43 being flanged at 44 and connected to the webs of the side plates 21 by means of angles 45 and rivets 46. The upper edge of the plate 43 is also flanged at 41, this flange and the flange 42 of the plate 39 lying substantially in the sam plane and cooperating to support the flanges 38 of the center sill.

The lower flanges 48 of the side plates 21 and the lower flanges 49 of the plates 39 and 43 are all secured by rivets 59 to a bottom cover plate 5|, the ends of which are riveted to the angle 25 as shown at 52. The plates 39 and may also be riveted together as shown at 53. Preferably the center lines of the top cover plate 33 and the bottom cover plate 5| are in the same vertical plane.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate a similar cross bearer construction in connection with a stationary center sill to which the web structure is rigidly connected. In these figures parts corresponding to those of Figs. 2-4 are correspondingly numbered. The inner end flanges of the side plates 21, hower, fit against th sides of the sill as shown at 54 and are secured thereto by means of rivets 55, and these flanges 54 may also be turned at right as indicated at 56 to fit against the upper faces of the flanges 38 of the sill, being riveted thereto at 51. The flanges then extend downwardly below the outer edges of th flanges 38 of the center sill, corresponding to the flanges 36 of Figs. 24 and being secured to the third plate 39 in the same manner. The third plate may have its upper flange 42 connected to the flanges 38 of the center sill by the rivets 51.

Instead of a fourth plate corresponding to the plate 43 of Figs. 2-4, a filler plate 58 may be located within the center sill, said filler plate having an upper flange 59 riveted to the center sill at 39, side flanges 6i riveted to the sides of the center sill at 62, and a lower flange 63 riveted to the upper flange 42 of the plate 39 as shown at 64. It will be understood that in most cases rivets 62 may be the same as rivets 55.

Figs. 81() show a different construction in which the side plates are of substantially the same depth as the center sill and the third plate extends from side to side of the underirame beneath both the sill and the side plates. Such modified construction can be used either with a movable center sill or with a stationary center sill, the latter arrangement being shown for purposes of illustration. The side plates 65 have their outer ends flanged at 66 for attachment by means of rivets Bl to the side walls I of the car. The upper flanges 68 of the side plates are riveted at 69 to a top cover plate HI which extends over the top of the sill 'l' and is connected at its ends to the angles 26 by means of rivets l l. The inner ends of the side plates are flanged at 12 for attachment by means of rivets I3 to the sides of the center sill. A filler plate 14 is located within the center still with its top flange 15 connected to the top of the sill and to the cover plate it by means of rivets i6 and with its end flanges ll secured to the sides of the sill by rivets 19. If desired, the rivets l3 and 18 may be the same.

The third plate 19 of the web structure extends from side to side of the underframe, its top flange Bil being riveted at Bl to the bottom flange 82 of the flller plate 14, riveted at 83 to the flanges 38 of the center sill and also to the bottom flanges 84 of the side plates 65, and riveted at 85 to said bottom flanges 8 3. The ends of the third plate l9, and also the webs of the side plates 65, may be connected to the side walls I of the car by means of angles 86 and rivets 81. The ends of the plate '59 are preferably shaped to flt over the angles 25, being if necessary reduced in height as shown by the inclined edges 88. The bottom flange 89 of the plate '19 is secured to a bottom cover plate 90 by means of rivets 9|.

Accordingly it will be seen that in each of the embodiments of the invention described above, the web structure comprises three vertical web plates including two side plates which extend inwardly from the sides of the underirame to the sides of the center sill and a third plate extending underneath and supporting the center sill. In the embodiments of Figs. 2-7, the side plates are of substantially greater depth than the sill, their inner edges extending downwardly below the sill, and the third plat is interposed between and connected to said inner edges beneath the sill. In the form shown in Figs. 13-10, on the other hand, the side plates are of substantially the same depth as the center sill and the third plate extends transversely be neath the sill and also beneath the edges of the side plates. In all cases the web structure as a whole not only connects the sides of the center sill with the sides of the underirame and thus provides lateral stiifness, but also provides vertical structure of substantially greater depth than the sill including a vertical web of substantial depth located beneath and supporting the sill itself. The underframe is thus stiffened and strengthened so that it is capable of supporting heavy concentrated loads under the conditions described above without danger of sagging or other damage.

It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, since various changes can be made in the form, details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from its spirit. Reference therefore should be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway car construction comprising a center sill extending longitudinally of the ca side structures the lower edges of which are 10- cated at a level substantially below said center sill, transverse members including body bolsters one near each end of the car and cross bearers intermediate said bolsters, vertically spaced horizontal side strengthening members secured to each side structure one at its lower edge a another at substantially the level of the top of said center sill, at least one of said cross bearers comprising vertical plates having flanged edges that are connected together to form an integral diaphragm structure, two sections of said dia-- phragm structure each having a flanged outer end substantially equal in height to the vertical spacing between said strengthening members and connected to said side structures and a flanged inner end adjacent the side of said center sill and extending downwardly below said sill at least to the level of the lower edge of the side structure, a third section of said diaphragm structure comprising a flanged plate extending beneath said center sill between said flanged inner edges and connected thereto.

2. A railway car construction as defined in claim 1, said center sill being longitudinally movable relative to said one cross bearer between the inner edges of said two diaphragm sections and slidably supported by the top flanged edge of said third diaphragm section.

3. A railway car construction as defined in claim 1, the flanged inner edges of said two diaphragm sections and the top flanged edge of said third diaphragm section being connected to said center sill.

SIGVARD SIMONSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,066,568 Ames July 8, 1913 1,735,887 Anderson Nov. 19, 1929 1,962,719 Kiesel June 12, 1934 1,971,179 Gilpin Aug. 21, 1934 2,183,054 Tesseyman et a1. Dec. 12, 1939 

